Deliver Us
by Scription Addict
Summary: Boyd and Grace are travelling across France to question a suspect.
1. Chapter 1

**Deliver Us**

**For my twin, you know who you are.**

This started out as a response to a Boyd's birthday challenge, but writing has been like trying to wade through treacle for me just lately, so it over shot the time scale by a mile, in order to get the inspiration to finish it, I have decided to post it in chapters, and this is the first.

The challenge was:

Send a very reluctant Boyd abroad with at least one of his CCU colleagues either as a 'treat' for his birthday, or for work coinciding with his birthday. Must include an unusual birthday present, a birthday phone call from someone unexpected and either a swimming pool, a casino or a hedge maze (or a combination thereof). Must be set somewhere between "Final Cut" and "Waterloo".

* * *

"Do you have to keep doing that?"

"Doing what?"

"That." She used her hand to gesticulate. "Tutting and sighing, you haven't stopped since we left London."

"Maybe that's because I really don't want to be here."

"Neither do I, it's you that wants to go and question him."

"Yeah well, that was when I thought we could bring him to the UK."

"Well you should know by now that life isn't that simple."

"I live and learn."

"I thought you'd have enjoyed a jolly to the south of France anyway."

"It's not a bloody jolly, it's a flight followed by a long drive to speak to an ex copper, and then a night in a crappy hotel only to get up tomorrow morning for another long drive and another flight back to the UK."

"It could be worse."

"How exactly?"

"It could be raining." As Grace finished the sentence the sky turned a very dark shade of grey.

"Oh nice one Grace, did you bring the bloody voodoo dolls with you as well."

Grace smirked at his words and looked out at the dark clouds above them. "We might drive through it."

"The way my luck is running we're probably driving straight into it."

"How far do we have to go?"

"We should be there in about fifty minutes, unless we hit any problems."

"And what about the hotel we're booked into."

"It's back towards the airport."

"So if we've got to drive back towards the airport, why didn't we just fly straight back home?"

"Because we will have missed the last flight back."

"Well then wouldn't it have made more sense to check into the hotel and then drive out here?"

"I wanted to get the travelling done and then go to the hotel."

"But…."

"Grace shut up; you're really beginning to get on my tits with all these questions."

"Oh I do apologise."

"It's fine."

"I was being sarcastic."

"Yeah I know."

"Don't take it out on me because it's your birthday tomorrow and you want to do what you always do on your birthday."

"You know it's my birthday tomorrow?"

"Of course I know. I also know that you always take the day off, so that you can sit at home and get drunk, alone!"

"Oh whatever Grace."

"Why do you do that?"

"I just don't like a lot of fuss, and to be honest I didn't even know that you knew when it was."

"Of course I know when it is."

"I never get anything for it."

"Because you never want to see anyone."

"Whatever."

"Do you have to keep saying that, it's like travelling with a bloody teenager?"

"Whatever!" He replied with a smirk.

"Fine, wake me up when we get there." Grace reclined the passenger seat of their hire care and closed her eyes.

It was about another hour before they arrived at their destination, and by that time Grace was well and truly asleep. Boyd nudged her gently. "Oi, sleeping beauty, wake up, we're here."

Grace stretched and yawned before looking out at the large building in front of them. "Is this it?"

"Yep."

"What an odd place to have a casino."

"To be fair you could say that about Las Vegas or Reno, they're in the middle of deserts."

"Yeah but they're not just one single solitary casino in the middle of bloody nowhere."

"Apparently this is really popular; it's not that far from the coast, so they get a lot of rather wealthy holiday makers coming over."

"What do they come in, bloody helicopters?"

"Well it does have the space for them, and anyway, you could build a casino practically anywhere and people would find it. Shall we get this over with?"

"Lead the way."

They walked into the large casino and found who they were looking for, ex detective Eddie Marks, who they needed to speak to regarding their latest cold case.

It was forty five minutes later when Boyd came stomping back out of the casino and headed towards the car, unlocking the vehicle he took his jacket off and threw it angrily on to the back seat, slamming the door shut again at the same time as angrily loosening his tie.

"Can you fucking believe that, we have spent the best part of a day travelling to question that arsehole because he refused to come to the UK or speak via the telephone or video link, and it takes him just over half an hour to tell us what we already knew, what a complete and utter waist of fucking time."

"Yes I agree, but I think you need to calm down a little, getting wound up like that won't help anyone."

"I'm not wound up, I am fucking livid, and if it was up to me I'd make sure that idiot got the fucking bill for today, what a complete fucking nightmare."

"Look I think the best thing is if we get out of here, we'll find somewhere to get a coffee before we drive to the hotel."

"Fine." He got in the car and again slammed the door, before starting the engine and driving off at high speed, causing the wheels to spin noisily against the dusty tarmac. Most of the area they had driven through was quite remote and they seemed to drive for miles before coming to a solitary garage, whilst he filled up the car Grace paid and bought two coffees from a vending machine inside the garage shop, it really was very minimalistic, it had no seating area so they sat and drank the coffee in the car.

"Have you calmed down now?"

"I was just bloody annoyed."

"Yeah I kind of picked up on that."

"Well do you blame me?"

"No, but putting your blood pressure through the roof because of some idiot who's too paranoid to talk on the telephone is pointless."

"Mm, maybe you're right."

"I'm sorry what did you just say?"

"I said maybe you're right."

"I think my hearing is going, I could have sworn you said I was right."

"No Grace, I said maybe you're right, there's a big difference."

"It's still the closest you've ever come to saying what everyone else already knows."

"Which is what exactly?"

"That I know best."

"Yeah of course, except when you don't, obviously."

"Obviously." She agreed and laughed with him.

Boyd took the empty coffee cups to the bin, and stretched exaggeratedly before getting back into the car and starting the engine. They had been driving less than 15 minutes when the car started to splutter and eventually ground to a halt. He immediately tried to start it again without success.

"What's wrong with it?" Grace asked without thinking.

Boyd glanced sideways at her, a look of utter disgust on his face at the stupidity of her question. "Do I look bloody psychic?"

"Did you put enough diesel in?"

"What?"

"I said did you put enough diesel in? Did you fill it right up?"

Boyd had a horrified expression on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"I put petrol in."

"I know I saw you."

"No Grace, I mean I put petrol in, it's a diesel car and I put petrol in it."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes I'm bloody serious."

"Well what the hell do we do now?"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Direct continuation from chapter 1 - This chapter contains some french that I translated from an online translator, my apologies if any of it is wrong.

* * *

"Are you serious?"

"Yes I'm bloody serious."

"Well what the hell do we do now?"

Boyd didn't answer; he got out of the car and slammed the door behind him, and then kicked the wheel out of frustration. Grace sat in silent disbelief for a few moments before she too got out of the car, albeit with a little more grace and a lot less door slamming than Boyd had. He had his head buried in the car boot, and eventually emerged with the rental car paper work in his hand.

"I'll call the emergency assistance number." He replied whilst already punching the number into his mobile. He paced up and down whilst talking on the phone, exaggeratedly gesticulating as he did so. As he hung up the phone he punched the bonnet of the car in temper.

"What's wrong now?" Grace asked.

"Nothing, they're sending a truck to pick up the car."

"So why are you punching the vehicle?"

"Because they can't send a replacement car until tomorrow at the earliest, and even that isn't definite."

"So what the hell are we supposed to do till then?"

"I don't know, I don't have all the bloody answers."

"There is no need to shout at me, it's your bloody fault we are in this bloody mess, you put the wrong fuel in."

"Great thanks for reminding me, I suppose that I am going to have that shoved down my throat forevermore, shout it from the bloody roof tops why don't you."

"I think you're the one who's shouting, I'm merely pointing that you're the reason we're in this predicament, not me."

"Believe it or not I am well aware that I'm the reason we're in this predicament, so I really don't need to have you shoving it down my throat."

As they continued to argue the truck pulled up behind the vehicle and the mechanic who they saw previously at the petrol station got out. Neither of them spoke very good French and the mechanic spoke even less English, so the conversation was difficult to say the least. They managed to ascertain that the car was being returned to the petrol station where the rental company would collect it from and provide a new vehicle for them, until such time they had been advised to find overnight accommodation.

"We need a place to stay." Boyd said to the mechanic, raising his voice as if that somehow made him easier to understand to a man who didn't speak the same language as him.

"I really don't think there's any need to shout do you?" Grace replied to him sarcastically.

"I was merely trying to ensure that he understood me."

"And shouting makes that easier how exactly?"

"I have no idea okay, absolutely no fucking idea; you try if you're so bloody good at this."

Although the French was no better than Boyd's she tried anyway. "We need a hotel s'il vous plaît." She said half in English half in French.

"Aha, Vous avez besoin d'un hôtel, lieu de séjour oui?"

"Oui, hôtel s'il vous plait."

"Désolé mais ils sont pas d'hôtels autour d'ici."

"Sorry no understand Francais, in English please?"

"No hotel."

"We need a place to sleep for one night only." She said as clearly as she could without sounding like Boyd.

"J'ai la pêche cabane."

"I'm sorry I don't understand." She replied a little exasperated.

"Umm, I have cabin, by lake, for catching fish."

"Can we stay there?"

"Oiu, I take you, after car."

They eventually managed to understand each other through broken English and broken French. The mechanic had a small fishing cabin by the side of a large lake and said they could use it for a night or two, or until the vehicle was ready for them. He first took them back to the petrol filling station, where Grace was able to stock up on some necessities to keep them going for a night or two at the most. The mechanic then drove them to the cabin, it was then they realised just how small the cabin was, it was no more than a wooden shack, it did at least have running water and a toilet, it also had a small stove and a single bed and armchair, not exactly the luxurious hotel they were hoping for but at least they weren't spending the night in the car. He also told them that the lake was safe for swimming, and the water was warm enough to bathe in, should they wish to go for a dip.

The mechanic eventually left them to it, arranging to pick them up as soon as the new vehicle arrived. He handed them a set of keys before leaving.

As he left Boyd let out a long sigh and rubbed his hand over his forehead. "Well it's more comfortable than the car." Grace said, noticing him sighing.

"I'm not so sure."

"Well I am, and it's…"

"Oh don't tell me, it's all my fault."

"I was actually going to say it's got a nice view." She corrected him.

He walked over to the door that led to the lake and threw it open, "oh really, do you want to use the bathroom first or second." He said with the unmistakable air of sarcasm in his voice.

"For God's sake, do you have to be so negative all the bloody time, at the end of the day…"

"Oh let me guess, at the end of the day it's all my fault, well thanks for the reminder, but I'm well aware of the reason we are stuck in this shit hole."

"Will you stop second guessing everything I say, I was actually going to say at the end of the day it's Hobson's choice isn't it, so we may as well make the most of it."

He sighed for the umpteenth time and again rubbed his hand across his forehead. "I'm sorry, I just really wanted to get back home for tomorrow."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why is it so important to get back home for tomorrow?"

"I'm just a creature of habit okay; I don't like to break the routine, you know that."

"All I know is that you like to spend your birthday at home alone, I've never known why, do you think Luke might get in touch, is that what this is all about?"

"Did you manage to get some wine in that shop?" He said rapidly changing the subject.

"I did, they didn't sell much of anything, but they did sell wine."

"Thank god for that." He replied, and grabbed two coffee mugs off the side.

TBC


End file.
